Pencil-sharpener.



Patented Apr. 8, I902.

E. BURKE.

PENCIL SHABPENER.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1901.

(No Model.)

IN V E N 70/? lzyzzzeflrze W/TNESSES ATTORNEYS U TTnD STATES PATENTOFFICE.

EUGENE BURKE, OF IJAKEVIEVV, OREGON.

PENClL-SHARPENER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N 0. 697,323, dated April 8,1902.

Application filed August 16,1901. Serial No. 72,254. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE BURKE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Lakeview, in the county of Lake and State of Oregon, haveinvented a new and Improved Pencil-Sharpen er, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description.

This invention provides novel details of construction for a smallpocket-knife which greatly facilitates its use for sharpening the endsof wooden-bodied lead-pencils and also enables the safe employment ofthe knife as an ink-eraser, if desired.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as is hereinafterdescribed,and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view of the improved pencil-sharpener, partly insection, showing the same applied for cutting away the body of thepencil into tapered form. Fig. 2 is a like view of the device, showing achanged adjustment of parts and the pencil engaged therewith to taperits point. Fig. 3 is a back edge View of the knife-handle, its openblade, and a rockable arm, which is a main feature of the invention.Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View substantially on the line 4 4c inFig. 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detached side view of details oftheinvention, the blade being broken away to show features ofconstruction. Fig. 6 is an end view of parts seen in the direction ofthe arrow to in Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view ofthe features of invention, showing their application for finishing thepoint of a lead-pencil.

The handle 8 of the instrument may be that of a pocket-knife that at oneend may be provided with one or more blades adapted for folding andopening, as usual, or, if preferred, the small blades may be dispensedwith.

At the opposite end of the handle 8 the peculiarly-formed blade 10 ispivoted between its side walls, as at a. The blade 10 is flat on oneside, as indicated at b in Figs. 4 and O, and beveled on the oppositeside I) from the cutting edge 0 toward the back cl of the blade. Theback edge at and cutting edge 0 of the blade 10 are preferably renderedparallel with each other from the heel of the blade to where there is aslightly-convex slope 6 formed thereon, which extends to the free end orpoint of the blade, that is produced by the junction of the back edge (Zwith the slope e. The heel portion of the blade 10 is slottedlongitudinally, as indicated at h in Fig. 5.

An arm 11, preferably shaped as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, has its heelportion h of reduced thickness to adapt it to occupythe slot hin theheel of the blade 10, and said part h is pivoted within the blade-slotby the pivot a, that secures the blade 10 loosely within the handle 8.It will be seen in Fig. 5 that the rocking movement of the arm 11 on thepivot or toward and from the sharp edge of the blade 10 may be limitedby a transverse pin 2', held in the walls of the slotted heel of theblade, a shoulder t" on the end of the heel portion it having contactwith the pin 2' when the free end of the arm is diverged a proper degreefrom the sharp edge of the knife-blade 10. As shown, the arm 11 is inthe form of a flattened arc, having its free end m curved abruptly inthe direction of the blade edge '0, so that this end or foot portion maynearly contact with the cutting edge of the knife-blade it is oppositewhen the blade and arm are in folded adjustment toward each other, asbest shown in Fig. 5.

In the upright wall of the foot portion m on the arm 11 a concave grooven is preferably formed, and in the upper edge of said end portion aplurality of indentations 0 are formed therein. Another series of spacedindentations p is formed in the upper edge of the rockable arm 11intermediately of its foot m and heel h. The arm 11 is so proportionedin thickness that it extends laterally a proper degree outside of thesides of the blade 10, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7.

To adapt the improved pencil-sharpener for use by persons who areleft-handed, the sloped side of theknife-blade 10 must be produced onthe side opposite from that shown in the drawings, wherein the device isrepresented as suited for the use of a right-handed person.

In manipulation of the improved instrument for sharpening a lead-pencilthe operator, if right-handed, holds the pencil-body in ICO the lefthand and the handle 8 in the right hand, the blade 10 having beenopened, so as to extend it, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. It will beseen that the sloped face of the blade 10 is the side nearest to thebody of the user, which is essential for the proper action of thedevice. To commence pointing a new pencil A, the arm 11 may withadvantage be given its extreme range of divergence from the sharp edgeof the knife -blade 10, and, as shown in Fig. 1, this adjustment ofparts will incline the arm toward the hand that grasps the handle 8. Theoperator now seats the blunt end of the pencil-body A upon the arm llbetween its heel and outer end and so inclines the pencil with regard tothe fiat side b of the blade 10 as to cause the sharp edge 0 of saidblade to engage the wood of the pencil at a proper distance from theadjacent end thereof and at a proper angle, considered laterally. A firmgrasp is had upon the handle 8, and the thumb of the operator is pressedforcibly against the back of the arm 11, so as to rock said arm towardthe edge 0 of the blade 10. In order to edect a shearing cut,

the pencil-body may be inclined forwardly aswell as laterally, whichwill enable the smooth and easy shaving of the wood at a proper taper.The cutting away of the wooden body of the pencil is continued bypressing its end upon the arm 11, so as to again rock it away from theblade 10, and at the same time the pencil is turned axially, so as tobring another portion of the body into engagement with the cutting edgeof the blade, which is cut away by a repetition of the rocking movementof the arm toward the blade, and obviously the wood of the pencilbyasuccession of sloping cuts may be truly removed to form a propertaper thereon.

The taper of the Wood portion of the pencil-body A need not include thecorrect tapering of the lead core A, which may be completed by placingthe extremity of the lead in one of the indentations 0 and so incliningthe pencil-point while vibrating the arm 11 as to shave the lead to apoint, it being understood that the pencil is rotatably moved during theoperation.

Where it is desired to render the pencilpoint quite sharp, as isessential in drawingpencils, the operator can effect this result bypressing the arm 11 closely toward the sharp edge 0 of the blade 10 andthen present the pencil-point to the convex edge portion e of the blade,resting said lead-point in the groove n, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, theshaving manipulation of the blade and turning of the pencil efiecting acompletion of the pointing operation in an obvious manner.

If the lead-pencil has been pointed once and is blunted by use, therenewal of its point may be readily effected by one operation, the pointof the pencil in this case being held in an appropriate indentation p inthe top edge of the arm 11, as clearly represented in Fig. 1.

It will be evident that the peculiar formation of the convex cuttingedge at and near the point of the blade 10 affords an excellentink-eraser, which is rendered efficient and safe in use by first foldingthe arm 11 close to the cutting edge of the blade, whereby the arm formsa guard for the cutting edge of the blade, so that it will not injurethe paper while it is removing ink-marks therefrom. The heel of the arm11 can be used to smooth the paper roughened by the employment of theblade 10 as an ink-eraser.

Slight changes in form and proportion of parts may be resorted to withinthe scope of myinvention. HenceIclaimallsuch changes or modifications asare well within the scope of the claims. v

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. A pencil-sharpener,comprising a handle, a bladepivoted upon the handle near one end thereof, and an arm pivoted by oneend on the pivot of the blade, and rockable toward the sharp edge ofsaid blade for support of the end of a pencil to be sharpened by saidedge of the blade.

2. Apencil-sharpener,comprisingahandle, a blade sharp on one edge, andpivoted by one end at an end of the handle, said blade having alongitudinal slot in its heel, and a bent arm pivoted in the slot of theblade-heel 011 the blade-pivot, which adapts the arm to rock toward andfrom the sharp edge of the blade for support of a pencil end to be cutby the blade.

3. A pencil-sharpener, comprising a supported blade, having a slot inits heel, a bent arm pivoted at its heel in the slotted heel of theblade, and means to limit the rockable movement of the arm on its pivot.

4:. Apencil-sharpener,comprisingahandle, a blade pivoted at one end inan end of the handle, said blade having a beveled side and a straightside, and a bent arm pivoted with the blade in the handle.

5. Apencil-sharpener,comprisingahandle, a blade having a beveled sideand a straight side, the sharp edge of the blade sloping convexly towardthe point, and a bent arm pivoted to fold with the blade and receiveadjustment toward and from the sharp edge of the blade.

6. In a pencil-sharpener of the character described, the bevel-facedblade having its cutting edge convexly sloped toward the point of theblade, and the rockable arm bent to provide a foot at its free end, theend wall of said foot being grooved, and the edge of the arm adjacent tothe edge of the blade having a plurality of indentations therein.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE BURKE.

Witnesses:

F. P. LIGHT, J. M. MILLER.

ICC

